The mistreatment of a five-year-old boy in the kindergarten “Bambini” in Hadžići has resulted, for now, in the determination of banning measures for female educators. Klix.ba had insight into the act of the Ministry of Education of Sarajevo Canton in connection with this case, in which numerous irregularities were presented.
The Ministry chronologically ordered the activities undertaken so far from the moment of receiving information about the reported violence against a child.
On February 11, 2026, the Ministry requested a statement from the kindergarten “Bambini” about allegations of child abuse and the competent action of the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education of the Canton of Sarajevo and called on the Institute to carry out professional supervision in the kindergarten “Bambini” as soon as possible.
Inspection supervision
On the same day, an inspection was also requested.
The next day, February 12, two officials of the Ministry and line minister Naida Hota-Muminović held a meeting with the child’s father and mother.
The statement of the Kindergarten “Bambini” about the mentioned case arrived at the Ministry on February 13. It claims that the child who was subjected to physical and psychological violence “exhibited disturbing and inappropriate behavior towards other children, including spitting, screaming, mocking and refusing to act according to the instructions of the educators, and the child was temporarily isolated in a feeding seat”.
The statement claims that the other children were not allowed to taunt the boy and that the teachers
They state that other children were not allowed to “taunt or make fun of the boy”, that the teachers tried to apply the additional “measure of putting a diaper over the child’s clothes”.
In the statement, it was also stated that the parents were given access to the video surveillance footage from February 6. The administration claims that upon learning about the mentioned event, it took the necessary steps, including the initiation of disciplinary proceedings, the temporary removal of educators from the workplace, as well as full cooperation with the competent institutions.
Then, on February 16, the e-mail from the boy’s parents arrives at the Ministry, and the medical findings are attached.
In the submission, it is stated that physical injuries were inflicted on the child, which, according to the child’s father, can be seen in the photographs as well as in the findings from the KCUS. The mental abuse can be seen in the video surveillance footage.
What does the camera footage show?
The child’s father describes the video he viewed in the kindergarten with the following words:
“The teacher physically ‘stuffs’ the child into the feeder and invites two other groups of children to mock him. The boy puts his hands over his ears so he doesn’t listen, but one of the teachers removes his hands and holds them on the feeder while he screams and turns his head uncontrollably. The teacher calls and encourages the other children to insult him. After that, she puts a diaper over his tracksuit and again encourages the other children to insult and humiliate him. The whole time she keeps him listening. After he takes the feeder and turns it towards the wall, where the child remains in the feeder and looks at the wall for the next 20 minutes. After that time, the child came out of the feeder, risking breaking both arms, which can be seen in the video. The child could not sit in the feeder because of his age, so his legs were on the plastic where the feeder is placed for children, and the child spends almost an hour in the feeder position, he is being humiliated dignity and character. Immeasurable damage has been done to the child.”
According to the findings from the KCUS, the child received two bruises on the right shoulder blade, light green in color. On the spine, two excoriations in the thoracic and lumbar parts. More hematoma on the legs.
Then, on February 18, the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education submits a report to the Ministry, which states, among other things:
“At the meeting of the representatives of JU Institute and the employees of PU ‘Bambini’, it was said that after the conversation, the director of the kindergarten and the parents reviewed the video of the surveillance camera together, and that when asked by the representative of the Institute whether the actions mentioned in the media are visible on the video of the camera, the director of the kindergarten did not give a clear answer, that is, he did not state either affirmatively or negatively.”
When asked by the representative of the Institute whether the institution has a document, a protocol on handling cases of violence, the director replied that the institution did not create such a document, and it is stated that the event was not recorded in the teachers’ work diary.
Furthermore, it is stated that the director of the private preschool institution “Bambini” does not meet the requirements for performing the director’s duties in accordance with Article 48 of the Law on Preschool Education in Sarajevo Canton.
Workers do not meet the requirements
It was established that a certain number of workers do not meet the requirements for work tasks and tasks of educators.
It is further stated that, after the parents’ meeting held at the institution, the teachers were suspended from work until the end of the proceedings.
On February 20, the Ministry received information about the inspection carried out by the Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs (KUIP), in which it is stated that, upon inspection of the work diaries and personal files of the educators of the institution in question, it was determined that the institution did not act in accordance with Article 15 of the Decision on Pedagogical Standards and Norms for Preschool Education.
It is also stated in the inspection report that it was established that not all educators have passed the professional exam, which they are obliged to do.
On the same day, the Ministry received an order from the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Sarajevo for the submission of documentation and supervision in which information is requested about the inspection performed in the PPU “Bambini” and other findings and information regarding the taking of actions due to the suspicion that the criminal offense of “psychological violence”, the criminal offense of “neglect or abuse of a child” and the criminal offense of “coercion” was committed in the preschool institution “Bambini”.
Possible deletion from the registry
On February 24, the Ministry requested a response from the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education of the Canton of Sarajevo in connection with the clarification after the supervision in the private preschool institution, they stated: “You have submitted to the Ministry general recommendations for the improvement of pedagogical work in the institution, and at the same time we have not received your opinion about the work and behavior of the teachers in the specific case, we invite you to provide the Ministry with information about the pedagogical work of the teachers within three days from the date of receipt of this act and the institution’s actions regarding the report of violence against a child.”
The next day, on February 25, the Ministry sent a new request to the Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs, in which they ask to carry out an inspection and check whether the director of the preschool institution “Bambini” meets the requirements for performing the director’s duties in accordance with the Law, as well as to determine other circumstances in the specific case, which were not covered during the inspection by the Institute.
The request for competent action was also sent to the Cantonal Center for Social Work of Canton Sarajevo, and the Center is being informed about the allegations of physical and psychological abuse of a five-year-old child.
With a renewed request, the Ministry asked for information from the KUIP, in which, among other things, it is requested: “We ask for the delivery of copies of decisions and misdemeanor orders issued by the acting inspector during the inspection, as well as other relevant information for the case in question. The aforementioned information is necessary in order to fully report to the Canton of Sarajevo, which was addressed to the Ministry of Prosecution. In addition to the above, we ask for information from the acting educational inspector whether the conditions for the Ministry’s action in accordance with Article 14 have been met. paragraph (1) of the Rulebook on the procedure for determining the conditions for the establishment, content and manner of keeping the register of preschool institutions, which reads: (1) The Ministry may ex officio initiate the procedure for deleting the preschool institution, i.e. the form of education from the Register when, in accordance with the Law on Preschool Education, the institution ceases to meet the prescribed conditions, and issue a decision on the termination of the institution’s operation.”
(TYPE/Source: Klix.ba/Photo: VD/Klix.ba)
